Jealousy and Envy reading Flashcards
What is the definition of envy?
Definition of envy: emotional feelings and behaviours that are directed at a person who possesses what the envious person desires but lacks
What are 3 ways in which envy is different from jealousy?
- Three ways in which jealousy and envy are different
1) Jealousy involves the desire to keep a relationship one has, whereas envy involves the desire to obtain something one does not have
2) Jealousy is typically limited to relationships whereas envy concerns almost anything, and
3) Jealousy requires three parties but envy only requires two
Note as well that Parrott states that situations that produce envy do not tend to produce jealousy. What do you think would be an example of this?
Envy involves comparing oneself with the threat or superior, but jealousy involves a feared comparison the partner is making about you - thus, an example that envy does not tend to feelings of jealousy is having an opponent win a prize and being envious of their prestige - however one is not jealous of the prestige itself
A paragraph that begins with “Research comparing jealousy with envy…” provides a nice summary of the differences in the subjective experience of jealousy and envy. You should be familiar with the material in this short paragraph.
The conceptual differences between envy and jealousy is reflected in their phenomenology (envy tends to involve more salient feelings of inferiority, longing and resentment, whereas jealousy tends to involve feelings of distrust, anxiety and self-righteous anger)
What is malicious envy? How does it relate to perceptions of the fairness of the envied person’s advantage?
- Malicious envy refers to feelings of hostility and dislike directed at the person who has what the envious person desires
- Research has shown that a subjective belief that the envied person’s advantage was unfair is associated with hostile emotions
Parrott describes 2 individual differences (e.g., personality) that are correlated with the tendency to be jealous or envious. Parrott describes 2 individual differences that are specifically tied to the tendency to be jealous. Parrott describes 4 individual differences that are specifically tied to the tendency to be envious. You should be familiar with the first 2, the next 2, and 2 of the 4.
People who are high on jealousy or envy also score (1) high on neuroticism and (2) score low on self-esteem; people who have a greater tendency to be jealous also score (1) higher on measures of anxiety and (2) on measures of external locus of control; people who score high in envy also tend to score high on (1) depression, (2) hostility, (3) resentment and (4) other-directedness
Parrott states that envy “motivates certain activities that ultimately benefit the envious person” and goes on to describe 3 points related to this argument. You should be familiar with these 3 points. You can see the link here to the Van de Ven original empirical research paper that you are reading.
- Envy has some potential benefits for the person who experiences it:
1) Envy may motivate achievement and innovation
2) Envy may motivate efforts to harm competitors
The threat of envy may motivate others not to enjoy more or contribute less than a fair share
